Council to recommend funding the refurbishment of sea wall at Overstrand

Date published: 21st March 2025

Initial investigations have revealed the need for urgent works to refurbish parts of the sea wall at the village of Overstrand. The Council is recommending that works proceed with haste and is putting together a budget, with the hope some grant funding will be available.

The sea wall in Overstrand helps to protect the toe of the cliffs from erosion; however, as beach levels have dropped, it has revealed that it has become significantly undermined in several places, and the sea has penetrated through the corroded sheets, threatening the stability of the structure above.

The recommended works propose replacing the corroded sheet piling and reinforcing the structure with concrete at the targeted sections that are most vulnerable. This is intended to extend the effective life of the sea defence structure.

Meanwhile, the Council has been involving the people in Overstrand, alongside other communities on the North Norfolk District’s cliff coastline, in conversations about future transitional arrangements to help plan for the longer-term impacts of coastal erosion.

In January of this year, the government published its National Coastal Erosion Risk Maps for England, showing the predicted extent of erosion under different scenarios.

The Shoreline Management Plan for this section of the coastline (adopted in 2012) provides the basis on which investment in coast defences is made.

This includes a policy of ‘hold the line’ until 2025 for Overstrand; however, in recognition that the failure of the defences at Overstrand would have a significantly detrimental impact, the document states that only when ‘adequate mitigating social measures’ are identified to limit the impact on the lives of individuals and the community, would the change to a managed realignment policy option be implemented.

The dynamic nature of the North Norfolk coast, combined with the impacts of climate change on sea level rise, storminess, and rainfall, mean that the coast is becoming increasingly vulnerable.

At Overstrand, even whilst the cliff is protected by the sea wall, due to groundwater, the cliff continues to slip, as can be seen in the recent slump of cliff material onto the top of the sea wall (which serves as a promenade). This has led to a section of the walkway having to be closed for safety reasons.

As well as funding for the refurbishment of the seawall, the Council’s Cabinet is seeking to establish a budget specifically to deal with cliff slips along the coast where they impact upon access, amenity and infrastructure.

Cabinet will discuss the proposed approaches later this month and recommend the funding options.

Cllr Harry Blathwayt, portfolio for Coast, said:

“Maintaining coastal defences in areas such as this is very challenging and expensive, but it is important to ensure that coastal towns and villages remain sustainable, vibrant places to live and visit.

"North Norfolk is in many ways at the forefront of the impacts of coastal change, exacerbated by the changing climate, and it is timely now both to take the short-term actions to slow those impacts where we can, but also to develop transition plans for the future. We will continue to work with local communities and do what we can to safeguard their interests.”